Psychology Based Strategies in the Classroom by Dr. Claire Honeycutt PhD

Make sure to listen to my interview with Dr. Claire Honeycutt PhD here.

Psychology Based Strategies to Increase Engagement and Intrinsic Motivation in the Classroom

By Dr. Claire Honeycutt PhD

 Teachers spend hours crafting perfect assignments and interactive engagements with the goal of getting students excited and motivated to work. What if I told you, that there was an easier way, one based on science?

Learning about the psychology of persuasion, specifically the science of intrinsic motivation, was one of the best things I did for my teaching. I found by employing a few, simple techniques, student motivation soared. I teach 50-80 student, undergraduate courses. Attendance, on-time completion of assignments, and participation in class discussion all increased without any change to the course materials.

Before we get to these, let's discuss the difference between intrinsic (self) or extrinsic (outside self) motivation. Most teachers are aware of and use extrinsic motivation strategies, where rewards are offered for “appropriate” behaviors (e.g., points are given for class attendance and discussion participation). This type of system works to generate the desired behavior but rarely translates to other behaviors needed for success of the students (ex: studying extra when points aren't offered). Further, studies show these strategies lose their effectiveness with time.

In contrast, driving intrinsic motivation, whereby students are self-motivated to engage in course, leads to sustainable changes in and out of the classroom. Teachers can create conditions under which the students experience more of this internal drive.

 There are numerous techniques that drive intrinsic motivation. Here, I will focus on the three I have found the most useful personally and I have preliminary data from an ongoing study of ~250 undergraduates that backs this up. I regularly discuss other science-driven techniques on my Twitter page (@HippyMomPhD) and my newsletter (scienceofkids.substack.com).

TECHNIQUE 1: LIKING

Studies show that people are more likely to be receptive to an idea if presented by someone “like” or "similar" to them. As teachers, we often feel we don't have much in common with our students and certainly students feel the same. But, it's not true. Making a point to find what you have in common with your students will form a bond. As an aside, this is a great technique for making friends too. The more unusual/uncommon the thing you have in common, the better. These things can be innocuous: sports teams, food allergies, podcasts, exercise habits, books you like.

Forming closer relationships with students increases the likelihood that students will perform activities suggested by the teacher because they feel the teacher cares about them and understands them. Students are also more likely to reach out for assistance when struggling, which is critical. Here are three quick ways to use Liking.

Examples

1.    On the first day of class, have students find one thing that you have in common. Consider telling the students several things about yourself and then during discussions walk around and ask them to tell you what you have in common. This is a great ice breaker. Bonus: encourage them to do the same with each other.

2.    Find opportunities for genuine expression of understanding of their situation. For example, closer to testing dates connect with them on their potential anxiety and discuss best strategies to study.

3.    Find opportunities for genuine compliments - especially behaviors you want to encourage. "I can tell you studied hard for this exam." Note, it is important that these be authentic. Getting caught in a lie will work against you.

NOTE: Many teachers feel uncomfortable breaking down the teacher/student barrier thinking that students will no longer respect them. However, this is a different technique than "acting" like your students. That strategy feels inauthentic to students and as outlined above will work against you. Instead, Liking is finding something in common that makes you both human. I have found my students are MORE respectful because they care about me, as I do them. Try it for a semester and see how it goes. Worst case, you don't use it again. Best case, you've transformed your classroom.

TECHNIQUE 2: RECIPROCITY

People feel obligated to give back when you first give to them. Gifts (e.g., flexible due dates) drive intrinsic motivation by deepening your relationship with your students while rewards (e.g., grades, bonus points) drive extrinsic motivation. Gifts open relationships while rewards conclude them. If you want students to persist PAST your interaction a gift will do so; conversely, after a reward is given, students have what they want and will stop the behavior you desire. 

The following are helpful to deepen your relationship with your students and will increase their responsiveness to your requests (e.g., turn in assignments on time). When using these be sure that they do not appear in the syllabus but rather are treated as gifts to the students through the semester. The following are examples to choose from. Note that curving an exam, especially if always done, is considered a reward (extrinsic motivation) and not a gift. Whereas, allowing students to take an exam again or multiple times, as is done with mastery learning, would be considered a gift to students.

Examples: 

1.    Let students pick the topic of a lecture. You can make suggestions so that the topic still fits within your course. For example, my students often vote to learn about fasting and I add it to a lecture on the digestive system.

2.    Flexible deadlines. This is especially strong if pared with Liking by showing authentic concern for students.

3.    Changing the date of an exam/assignments based on students’ schedule. Consider taking a vote on when to have exams. Students above elementary school have other classes and are very grateful when you consider this in your course.

4.    Learn (or attempt to learn) their names. I recognize most K-12 teachers do this, but higher education teachers do not, so I'm keeping it on the list.

5.    Offer extra office hours before exams/due assignments

NOTE: Gifts are best if they are meaningful, unexpected, and customized. 

TECHNIQUE 3: SOCIAL PROOF

People look to what others are doing to decide what they should do, especially when they are uncertain. Every new class represents uncertainty for students (what you are like? your exams? your assignments?). When things are uncertain, students will look to what comparable others (other students like them) are doing. Determine which behaviors you want your students to engage in and then use social proof to encourage students to engage in these behaviors. 

Examples

1.    Present information about how specific behaviors (e.g., coming to class) lead to better outcomes (e.g., grades)

2.  Consider using polls, statistics, surveys, and testimonials. You can use your course evaluation information or you can poll past students or use data from those students. You can always present data from the literature as well.

NOTE: These should be authentic. If you get caught lying, it eliminates trust.

All of these techniques are flexible in their usage and can be scaled to match the needs of a classroom. For example, strategies can be used more frequently in courses where student engagement needs are high. Techniques described are free to use and take up minimal class time.

TAKEAWAY

Build strong relationships with your students and watch their intrinsic motivation soar. There are 4 other techniques, Consistency, Authority, Scarcity, and Imagery, that can be employed. I plan to cover how to use these on my newsletter in the coming weeks (ahimsa.substack.com). Consider subscribing (there is a free option) so we can stay in touch.

If you found this useful, please consider sharing so other can find it. You might also enjoy my newsletter “The Science of Kids” (scienceofkids.substack.com) where I post reviews and discussions on scientific articles about kids to help adult understand and support kids better. Finally, if you have any questions, please reach out! I would LOVE to connect (Twitter: @HippyMomPhD or Email: scienceofkids@substack.com).

References

The best resource for this material is “Influence: Science and Practice” by Robert Ciladini. This book holds hundreds of peer-reviewed references about all of the material covered here. It also goes deeper on all of these topics. NOTE: Dr. Cialdini doesn’t discuss these from a teaching perspective, as I’ve done here, but it’s still a great read.

R.B. Cialdini, Influence: Science and Practice. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2001.